Posts tagged “Nathan Ironside”

We have launched out first PODCAST: It’s in English with Spanish translations for our Spanish followers. There are 3 ways you can subscribe & follow it. Enjoy & be stirred by some of the messages we preach on tour:

I love how the Holy Spirit uses unique moments to speak to us, humble us and reveal our attitudes as He clearly convicts us by His word and His voice… If we let Him!

Have you ever missed it?

Today I played drums in church for the first time in 10 years. Hammer time! While laying down a solid ‘4 on the floor’ ‘Animal’ style rock beat … The drum skin of the kick/bass drum broke and split in half … skills uh?. I was extremely frustrated while trying to continue playing through the worship set. I did everything I could including moving the bass drum beater to the outer rim to try to get some sound out of it. Pretty soon the frustration turned into an attitude,“That’s it, I’m here to help, I haven’t played drums for 10 years, I told them to change the skins… This is the last straw etc…”.My attitude stank. The pastor came to give the msg, and then it hit me, the first scripture hit me straightbetween the eyes:

“[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy” (Colossians 1:11 AMP).

The split drum skin just revealed the wrong attitude that was already lurking there. I wasn’t being “invigorated & strengthened with power for His Glory”. The music and even the frustration of the moment should have been used as a tool of expression to overcome and lead myself and others into worship. I missed it by being distracted by myself instead of enduring with patience in joy for the glory of God.

When was the last time you were faced with a frustration (small like mine .. or significant)? What did you do with it?

Reflection> We are to be strengthened by His Glory to endure in all, in patience and joy, using every circumstance to serve the ultimate purpose > Glorify His Name.

Mary & I got married February 2010 … In planning our marriage ceremony we talked a lot about how it would flow, how it would reflect the ‘Tangarife’ family: Colombian culture & the ‘Ironside family’: Australian culture. The one thing we both agreed we had to do was start with an expression of worship. We had some talented friends lead us with some of our favorite worship songs and family members lead us in worshipful prayer. The atmosphere was set, God was honored, & lets just say I was much more relaxed to focus on the life changing task at hand.

The point is not that weddings have to start with singing worship songs … But what is our life focus? How do you begin your day? How do you start a new venture or project? What do you give worth-ship to (give worth to).

“Start with God-the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning” Prov 1:7 (MSG)

The 1st step in learning is bowing down to God. The place to start for wisdom for life in whatever step your taking is respect, reverence, honor & fear for the One who put you on this planet. In other words .. Concerning God & Heavenly wisdom.. If you want to get anywhere: Start with Worship.

Worship derives from the old-English word ‘worth-ship’… It means to give and add worth to something. What are you adding worth to? What are you giving value to? When you give worth (respect, Holy fear) to God you open your life up to receive his wisdom, knowledge, & secrets of enjoying & living a life of significance.

King David put it this way in Psalm 34: “I will bless the Lord at all times His praise will continually be my song” …

All times! That’s a lot of time… That’s a lot of worship, respect & singing.

God deserves Your authentic worship… In fact He deserves the offering of every life that’s existed throughout the generations, He deserves every breathe you breathe as an offering to glorify His name… Forever we’ll be singing.

He designed us to give worth to more than ourselves… By giving worth and value to the eternal God we add worth to ourselves… Try it! Your designer knows His design… & if you want to know… ‘Start with worship’.

God is not looking for singers. He is looking for worshipers.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” John 4:23

Anything less than the above is an insult.

The vision of ‘The Stirring’ is to see a growing community of people who are before anything else… ‘worshipers’. We want to see believers rise up in their God given talents + creative abilities to express the stunning magnitude + awesome detail of our God … in spirit + truth. We have many “Religious Creators“, “Creative Hypocrites”, + “Shallow Worshipers” floating around local churches. We believe a generation + community of sold out Christ followers are awakening around the world… their spirits are alert + active to God, their lives line up to their songs + so their worship is in truth. The natural response + outcome of true God worship is: Compassion, Love + Justice towards those in need.

“Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.” Amos 5:23-24

This is what God wants from us.

The goal of the ‘The Stirring’ community is that our worship truly counts before the Father… Taking our creative worship from the ‘building’ to the ‘beggar’ … from a great ‘concert’ to a great‘compassion’ … A passionate response of more than a song: but a river of justice + hope, a mighty stream of generosity and right living before God.

‘The Stirring’ is getting ready to resource people with opportunity’s and information on how they can action their creative worship… to bring ‘hands on’ impact to communities, hope to families + creativity to organizations around the world that will be blessed by their talents + passion for the living God.

Coming Soon: Details on projects + how you can contribute + be involved with ‘The Stirring’.